Tim Paine, the former Australian Test captain, praised Dhruv Jurel and named him a player to watch for India in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Paine was particularly impressed by Jurel’s performance in the second unofficial Test between Australia A and India A at the MCG, where Jurel demonstrated his ability to handle the challenging pace and bounce of the Australian pitches.

Jurel showed off his talent by scoring 80 and 68 in both innings of the four-day match at the MCG. His confidence in batting in difficult conditions has made Paine believe Jurel could be a surprise player in the upcoming Test series against Australia.

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Speaking to SEN Tassie, Tim Paine highlighted Dhruv Jurel’s impressive performance, mentioning that Jurel has played a few Test matches as a wicketkeeper and has a solid batting average of 63. Paine noted that Jurel has the temperament and skill required for the test cricket, and despite being primarily a wicket-keeper, he believes Jurel will play an important role in the upcoming series against Australia.

“There is a guy who has kept wicket in a few Test matches for India. He averages 63 in the three Tests he has played and his name is Dhruv Jurel,” Paine said on SEN Tassie.

“I don’t know if you saw a lot of the highlights, but after watching him bat (against Australia A), even though he’s a wicketkeeper, from what I’ve seen on this tour and from India’s batting in the last few months.” “I would be surprised if he didn’t play,” he added.

Paine impressed by Jurel’s composure on MCG rebound

Tim Paine, who coached Australia A in the match, was particularly impressed by Jurel’s composure and the ease with which he batted on the MCG pitch, something many players from the subcontinent often struggle with.

Paine believes Dhruv Jurel will impress Australian fans in the upcoming series, despite the challenge of facing top Australian players like Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood. He believes Jurel has the skills needed to succeed in Test cricket.

“He scored one of the most polished 80s I’ve ever seen, and we were all sitting there as Cricket Australia staff and thinking, ‘Wow, this guy can seriously play,'” Paine said.

“He is 23 years old and has played three Test matches but, to be fair, he seemed to be a cut above all his team-mates, he handled the pace and bounced very well, which can be unusual for an Indian player,” he added.

“Keep an eye out for him this summer. I think it’s going to impress a lot of Australian fans. Although it will be a step up from the big three (of Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood), he looks like he has the game to play Test cricket,” Paine concluded.

The first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy begins on November 22 at the Optus Stadium in Perth.

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